FUTURE FIREFIGHTER

Silas has always had various career options that interest him, but I was completely surprised when he came to me several months ago and said he wanted to be a firefighter. A common dream of many boys, it's one he has never shown even the slightest interest in. Intrigued, I asked him why that job appealed to him. He listed out a handful of reasons, all of which made perfect sense, and I told him I agreed that it could be a good fit for him.

He'd already done some research by the time he talked to me, so he started paying short visits to the Woodburn Fire Department. He went two or three times, always with a notebook in hand and some questions for them. One thing led to another and he now spends time with one of the crews a couple times a month. If they get a call while he's there, then he goes out with them. Otherwise he spends his time at the station studying. Discernment is obviously used as they decide how involved he can be on a call, like whether he watches from the truck or observes up close, and in truly horrific situations they'll just leave him at the station until they know he's ready to go out for those calls, but he's excited to have a foot in the door.

Here's his uniform of sorts, a shirt he's only allowed to wear at the station (but that I had him toss on for a quick picture the day he got it). 

This is how he spends part of each day, learning more about what it takes to be a firefighter.

Chemeketa Community College has a reputable program for firefighters and just happens to have a satellite campus half a mile from our home. Silas' tentative plan is to start taking some classes there next year for dual enrollment high school and college credits, finish high school a year early, and have his degree, or be close to it, by the time he's eighteen.

I'm really thankful for the lieutenant who told Silas he was open to discussing the possibility of someone as young as he is spending some time with them (he was still 13 when he first initiated contact), a chief who approved, and everyone else who has welcomed him into the fold. We'll see how it all plays out in real life and no one knows what the future holds, but it's exciting to see him pursuing this goal, even in the baby steps that come early in the process and with plans held loosely.